Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. The philosopher novelist. 3. The early phase (1954-1958). 4. The middle phase-I (1961-1964). 5. The middle phase-II (1965-1969). 6. The later phase (1970-1993). 7. Conclusion. 8. Selected bibliography.

"Iris Murdoch: Melodrama and Metaphysics is a path-breaking study of the twin inter-related themes of metaphysics and melodrama in the novels of Iris Murdoch, a prolific modern British novelist. The book, while dealing with the vast amount of criticism available on the novelist, seeks to find answer to such vexed questions as whether the apparently different genres of philosophy and melodrama can be converged into a successful novel?, Is a novelist justified in using the ideational elements to the exclusion of human elements?, Can the conventions of drama be successfully used in the art of story telling? etc. The present study seeks to redefine the achievements of Iris Murdoch in the light of the presence of mutually incompatible elements in her novels and philosophical writings.

The book, it is hoped, will cater to the needs of the scholars of modern British fiction who are interested in the works of Iris Murdoch, one of the most powerful and controversial novelists of the modern times." (jacket)